On July 3, 1806, the Corps of Discovery left
Travelers' Rest.Captain Lewis and nine men went to pursue a direct route to the Missouri,
then explore Maria's river. Captain Clark and the rest of the party went a new
route to the Jefferson River, then descended to the Three Forks and then
proceeded with a detachment party to explore the Yellowstone, while Sergeant
Ordway, with nine men, descended the Missouri.
Map of Routes

July 4, 1806 Lewis

"these affectionate people our guides betrayed every emmotion of unfeigned
at seperating from us."

July 4, 1806 Clark

"This day being the decleration of Indeendence of the United States and a
Day commonly selebrated by my country I had every disposition of selebrate
this day and therefore halted early and partook of a Sumptious Dinner of a
fat Saddle of Vension and Mush of Cows (roots) after Dinner we proceeded
on."

July 5, 1806 Clark

"Shields returned at dark and informed me that the best road turned up the
hill from the creek. it will evidently shorten our rout at least 2
days."

July 6, 1806 Lewis

"we expect to meet with the Minnetares and are therfoe much on our guard
both night and day."

July 6, 1806 Clark

"The Indian woman wife to Shabono informed me that she had been in this
plain frequently and knew it well that the creek which we decended was a
branch of Wisdom river and when we assended the higher part of the plain
we would discover a gap in the
mountain in our direction to the canoes."

July 7, 1806 Lewis

"after we encamped Drewyer killed two beaver and shot third which bit
his knee very badly and encamped."

July 7, 1806 Clark

"we arrived at a Boiling Spring ... contains a very considerable quantity
of water and actually blubbers with heat .. it has every appearance of
boiling, too hot for a man to endure his hand in it for 3 seconds. I
directed Sergt. Pryor and John Shields to put each a piece of meat in the
water of different sizes. the one about the size of my 3 fingers
cooked dun in 25 minits..."

July 8, 1806 Lewis

"much rejoiced at finding ourselves in the plains of the Missouri
which abound with game."

July 8, 1806 Clark

"as before mentioned the most of the party with me being Chewers of
Tobacco become so impatinet to be chewing it that they scercely gave
themselves time to take their saddles off their horses before they were
off to the deposit."

July 9, 1806 Lewis - Encamped on the south
side of the Sun River, near the mouth of Simms Creek, in Cascade County,
Montana, a little over one mile northwest of present Simms

"Set out early and had not proceeded far before it began to rain.
the air extreemly cold. halted a few minutes in some old lodges
untill it cased to rain in some measure. we then proceeded and it
rained without intermission. wet us to the skin."

Plant* - Although the description of a carrot-like leaf in not
consistent, this may be ternate, or nineleaf, lomatium, a plant with an edible
root which Lewis collected on May 6, 1806, on the Clearwater River in Idaho.

July 10, 1806 Lewis

"... saw vast herds of buffaloe in the evening, we heard them bellowing
about us all night. vast assemblages of wolves..."

July 10, 1806 Clark

"... this morning everything was white with frost... I had all the Canoes
put into the water and every article which was intended to be sent down put on
board, and the horses collected and packed with what articles I intend takeing
with me to the River Rochejhone (Yellowstone), and after brackfast we all Set
out at the Same time." (Ordway was in charge of the canoe party, while
Clark led the group with the horses on land.)